June 1, 2015

EACH OF THE NBA'S FOUR CONFERENCE FINALISTS CARRIES THE BURDEN OF REPRESENTING A TITLE-STARVED FAN BASE. THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE OF THE CAVALIERS, WHO HAVE TORN THROUGH THE EAST—AND GOTTEN A LITTLE PAYBACK ALONG THE WAY

On May 12 the 76ers introduced a secondary logo featuring a balling Ben Franklin. The statesman had the size (6 feet, 240 pounds) to be a solid point guard. Based on his history and the illustration, SI's hoops experts envision him in today's NBA.

Before he became the premier postseason performer of his generation, the Patriots icon was a middling college quarterback who invited skepticism, even scorn, from fans and his coaches. That was all—and that was everything